Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Does the Magicard Video badging printer work with the Datacard system? Environment ID Works Magicard Video Badging Cause The Magicard printer web site has a driver for the Datacard system. Resolution Yes you can, the Magicard printer web site has a driver for the Datacard system.

Issue Is there a difference in the way Datacard (ID Works) handles the date format? What is the Date format that the ID Works supports? Environment I/NET Seven DataCard ID Works Cause Date format needs to be entered correctly when integrating ID Works with I/NET Seven Resolution Yes, the format is different. The only format that the Datacard ID Works system supports are YYYY/MM/DD.

Issue Defined a Special Day for the door mode schedules, but no one gets access, not even a person with a 24/7 schedule. AMT shows Denied Entry Schedule Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Seven Cause In access control, there are two types of schedules:  Door Mode Schedules Personnel Schedules If there is a special day defined, there must be corresponding special day entries in all time schedules. Issue Special Days are causing the Elevator to show Denied Entry Schedule in AMT. Resolution Modify the existing personnel schedules Add an entry for the special day If it is a system that includes HVAC controls, their associated time schedules will need special day entries as well. If no instructions are given to them for what to do on a special day, they will do nothing. For further information on setting up Special Day schedules including screen captures, see Special Days Setup I7 updated.pdf.

Issue Access older I/NET 4.xx *.pag files from page markers in new pages made in I/NET 2000 Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET 2000 Cause Access older files from new pages made in I/NET 2000. Resolution Go to the Graphic Editor, right click on the page-marker, then select Properties. The next screen is called Graphic Page Marker. In the File Details section check path of the file name of the file extension type If they are not correct then click on Destination page. Select and then open your file. (You may select *.pag or *.gpg files.) Make sure the correction is now in the File Details then click Okay. Save the graphic and close Graphic Editor. Test your page marker. Your page should appear. For conversion up to StruxureWare Building Operation, import the original pag files and convert to gpg. Then using the graphics converter from Building Operation, convert the graphics pages.

Issue Where is the Modem Settings registry key in the Windows 95/98 Registry? Product Line TAC INET Environment Windows 95 Windows 98 Cause Modifications to modem settings must be performed in the registry editor. Resolution Open the Registry Editor (Start > Run > regedit) Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\xxxx\Settings

Issue In TCP/IP terms, what is a broadcast address used for? Environment I/NET IP network Cause A broadcast address is used to simultaneously address every host on a network. Resolution The broadcast address for network 128.66 is 128.66.255.255. A datagram sent to this address is delivered to every individual on network 128.66.

Issue What are some of the reasons why subnetting is used? Environment I/NET IP network Cause When considering network design, there are some reasons to consider subnetting. Resolution Overcoming distance limitations Interconnect dissimilar physical networks Filter traffic between networks

Issue What command displays the translation of the IP addresses to Ethernet addresses? Environment I/NET Cause This stands for Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). This command displays the table of translations between IP addresses and Ethernet Addresses. This table is built dynamically. When ARP receives a request to translate an IP address, it checks for the address in the (ARP) table. Resolution arp -a

Issue What situations may use Static Routing? Environment I/NET Cause A network with a limited number of gateways to other TCP/IP networks may be configured with static routing. Static routing tables do not adjust to network changes, so they should be used only where routes do not change. But when remote destinations can only be reached through one route, a static route is the best choice. Resolution A static routing table is constructed manually by the system administrator using the "route" command.

Issue What is Domain Name Service (DNS)? Product Line Andover Continuum,EcoStruxure Access Expert,EcoStruxure Building Expert,EcoStruxure Building Operation,EcoStruxure Security Expert,Satchwell BAS & Sigma,Satchwell MicroNet,TAC IA Series,TAC INET,TAC Vista Environment TCP/IP Networks Cause DNS is a distributed hierarchical system for resolving host names into IP address. Under DNS, there is no central database with all of the Internet host information. The information is distributed among thousands of name servers organized into a hierarchy similar to the UNIX file system. DNS has a root domain at the top of the domain hierarchy that is served by a group of name servers called the root servers. Source: TCP/IP Network Administration by Craig Hunt, O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. Resolution Short for Domain Name System (or Service or Server), an Internet service that translates domain names into IP addresses. Because domain names are alphabetic, they're easier to remember. The Internet however, is really based on IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, therefore, a DNS service must translate the name into the corresponding IP address. For example, the domain name www.example.com might translate to 198.105.232.4. The DNS system is, in fact, its own network. If one DNS server doesn't know how to translate a particular domain name, it asks another one, and so on, until the correct IP address is returned.  

Issue If I have populated a Special Days and Temporary Time Schedule on a point, which schedule will control that point? Environment I/NET Time Schedule extension Cause There may be an overlap in scheduling that causes a Special day to fall on the same day as a Temporary Time Schedule. Resolution In the case of a point having a Special day defined and a Temporary schedule defined, the Temporary Time Schedule will override the Special Days schedule.

Issue Possible Issues related to a large number of global and indirect points Environment I/NET CLAN network Cause Adding a large number of global and indirect points can adversely affect the system response time. Resolution Each globalization and request for globalization is a message from the DCU. A large number of global and indirect points an overload the DCU’s message capability. This can reduce the system performance, and may cause the system to discard messages.

Issue A Docutrend setup has Docutrend cells that will not update. Environment Docutrend Cause Points storing information to docutrend cells (including Event cells) must have at least a priority of routine when attached to a direct connect host, or the cell will not receive the data. On a dial out Tap system, points storing information on Docutrend cells (including Event cells) must have at least a priority, or the tap will not send the data. Resolution Check the system settings to ensure that points storing information to Docutrend cells have a priority of at least routine.

Issue Which controllers do not use the minimum trip and close command? Environment UC, MR, or ASC Cause The editor lets you enter a value in the minimum trip and close field; however, the UCI, MRI, MCI, or I/Site Lan replaces the entered value with the default value of "0" when it is downloaded to the UC, MR, or ASC. Resolution The minimum trip and close parameters are not used for Unitary Controllers (UC), Micro Regulator (MR), or Application Specific Controllers (ASC) output commands.

Issue Calculations may not be used on an indirect point Environment I/NET Seven Resident I/O calculation Cause Calculations may not be used on an indirect point Resolution Calculations may be used only with internals or external points. Indirect points may not use the calculation extension.

Issue Can I use the 08 & 09 DI\DA points on a 7910A and 7920 DPU as internal points? Environment 7910A DPU 7920 DPU Cause These points are dedicated points and cannot be used for any other purpose. Resolution The 08 & 09 DI\DA points on a 7910A and 7920 DPU: Cannot be used as internal points Cannot have calculation extensions

Issue File equalization quit working. Troubleshooting steps to repair file equalization. Environment I/NET 2000 Cause Brdpend is a file equalization buffer, and should always be at 0KB.  Resolution Go to Windows Explorer Look in the Inet2000\data directory In this directory, look for a file called Brdpend. If this file is larger than 0KB, then delete this file. I/NET will make a new Brdpend file to replace the deleted one.

Issue Cannot get a DPU restore to work. Environment I/NET 2000 DPU Cause Acsave.tmc is a file that buffers the DPU restore information. It should disappear after a restore. Having the file present could mean that there was a problem with the download. Resolution Go to Windows Explorer Look in the Inet2000\data directory In this directory, look for a file called Acsave.tmc. If this file is present, delete it.   After deleting the Acsave.tmc file, do another DPU restore.

Issue Need to capture steps taken to reproduce a problem or a solution Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices, OTHER, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Windows 7 Windows 10 Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016 Cause A series of screen captures will help to demonstrate the steps needed to reproduce a problem or a solution. You can use this tool to capture the steps you take as a problem occurs and send the output to someone so they can see a screenshot of each step. Resolution In Windows click on the Start menu button  Type "PSR" Windows 7Windows 7 Windows 10, 2012, 2016Windows 10, 2012, 2016 Open the Problem Steps Recorder Windows 7Windows 7 Windows 10. 2012, 2016Windows 10. 2012, 2016 Click Start Perform the desired tasks Click Stop Choose a location to save the file output The .zip file will contain a .mht file which can be opened in a web browser The screenshots will appear in order  This will be followed by a detailed output of keystrokes and mouse movements. For additional information please refer to Microsoft webpage on this topic: Record steps to reproduce a problem 

Issue A door DO is defined in the Resident I/O editor, but does not show up in the doors editor. Environment I/NET Resident I/O editor I/NET Doors Editor Cause  One of the causes is the doors are not saved in the NETCON file. Resolution Select Edit>Host Computer>Network Configuration Save any links with a "+" sign Select the link that contains the door and click Penetrate Save any controllers with "+" sign Select the controller that contains the door and click Penetrate Save any sub-Lan controllers with "+" sign Select the sub-Lan controller that contains the door and click Penetrate The door should have a "+" sign next to it.  Click Save All Close out of the Network Configuration Windows The door should now show up in the door editor.